TITANS OF ETHER

[-Direhaggis-]

All of us to one degree or another have a personal investment in the Ultima series, be it offering suggestions and encouragement or working on U9R. Besides the unique atmosphere and original approach to RPG's that the Ultimas took/take, there were some times or moments that still stick with me to today.

A few from U7:BG come to mind for me.

I'd been playing through it a second time, I think, and wandering around the heavy forest near Yew. It was night and Stones began to softly play in the background. And for a few minutes I admired the trees, the ground, wondering at how the little things in that game made a lasting impression.

The other one was the character of Caine. I can't say why, after over a decade, I can still remember Skara Brae in detail, and that alchemist in particular. All of the NPC's in that area were quite well done, but something about him stuck with me. One of the original reasons I joined the team was just so that I could write his dialogue.

And just one last one. Maybe it was my being a kid or the fact that U6 was my first real computer game, but that character creation sequence was and is the best I've ever seen. There was something so compelling, haunting, other-worldly about it all, seeing your decisions and fate mixing around in a flask.

Ok, ok, I've rambled enough

What about you?
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Direhaggis
Lead Writer/Editor for Dialogue and Books
Member of Titans of Ether

[Dragan]

My first Ultima-Game was Underworld II. For the first, I have hate the darken atmosphere in the castle. The Ice-Level was my favorite. When the Char slides over the smooth floor.
U7 - The Black Gate was next game. Very interesting here: Skara Brae. Later, i have found on the net: Ultima Savage. But the atmosphere was not a U7 or UW II. OK, here i must say, i prefer the UW II and this combiniered with U7 .

[Michikawa]

I remember watching my big brother play Ultima IV on C-64 when I was like six years old. For some reason I was mesmerized by the game. It was probably because I have been a fantasy/medieval freak for as long as I remember and everything that had anything to do with such themes really "got to me".

First Ultima I truly played myself was Ultima V. I remember that I had this vivid feeling of exploring the unknown. For example, there was this small island where a small hut was hidden inside a deep forest, you couldn't see it from the sea, only after you had landed and walked inland from the shore.

Ultima VI had many great atmospheric moments, mainly because of the excellent score and wonderful game mechanics. Ah, the remarkable way to get one of the runes: go through the mouse-hole with Sherry! I always raised Sherry's strength on every level, so that at level 8 I could use halberd and some decent armor on it.

Ultima VII had many wonderful moments also and again the score was exceptional. Same goes for Serpent's Isle. Although I have to admit that for some reason I never played them through I played both of them like 80% and then I just stopped and didn't ever continue.

Underworlds were truly remarkable and II is one of the only games I've played through for many times. It had really strong atmosphere and nice storyline elements and dialogue. It had also this strong feeling of discovery, exploring and freedom.

[Thepal]

There is too much to remember. And definately too much to write about.

I s'pose I'll start with U6. The character creation and introduction definately sucked me into my first Ultima game. Then exploring the world was amazing. You'd go into one dungeon and hack your way through thick webs, fighting spiders and searching the remains of fallen adventurers who carried cool things like invisibility rings. You'd go into the giant ant tunnels and explore. There was the dragon caves, which created the new method of gameplay: kill Iolo, Dupre and Shamino so that you could use all the invisibility rings yourself, since being visible meant death.

I think the most memorable part of U7 was Trinsic. Finally returning to Britannia, meeting with your old friend Iolo, and getting straight into a murder investigation and exploring a new world. I loved visiting each of the towns in Serpent Isle for the first time, and being caught up in their troubles.

In Ultima 8 there are some things I really remember. I remember a large... make that 'huge' chasm somewhere and deciding to attempt to jump over it. When I got to the other side and barely managed to grab on to the other side and pull myself up I thought "Damn this is cool". And hence I was the one person that actually liked the jumping puzzles.

As for UW2, there was so much. I suppose I could just say 'Each of the worlds'. Prison tower showed another world in which people were battling against the Guardian as they were on Britannia, and showed the first of a series of 'Avatars' of other civilisations. Killorn showed a world so like Britannia, and yet one that was twisted by the Guardian. The Ice world showed one that was completely wiped out, and the alien world just added something completely different, but something that fit in perfectly with the story. Everything in each of those worlds was so amazing.

And I thought I'd just mention one thing about U9, and this is probably something many people can agree with. Returning to town after cleansing a shrine. Suddenly having this amazing music play as you entered it, and having people say 'Thank you, Avatar'.... it made you feel like a real hero. When that first happened in Britain it sent shivers down my spine. The others were basically more of the same until Trinsic, which really had hero music.
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-==Thepal==-